


The Rise of Sentibug

by GlamRayVision



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Season/Series 03, Sentimonster (Miraculous Ladybug)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:29:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22949365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlamRayVision/pseuds/GlamRayVision
Summary: My AU, The Rise of Sentibug, takes place during and after the episode "Ladybug ". In this AU, Sentimonster-Ladybug (shortened to Sentibug), survives and helps Ladybug and Chat Noir take Myura's miraculous.  Natalie is imprisoned and the Peacock miraculous is fixed by Master Fu. Meanwhile, Marinette deals with the aftermath of Lila's attempt to isolate her, as well as figuring out how to give Sentibug a home. Adrien does some digging through his father's files and uncovers a dark secret, a secret he can't face alone.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Sentimonster Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 4
Kudos: 47





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> After watching the episode "Ladybug ", I instantly fell in love with Sentimonster-Ladybug. Even though we didn't see much of her, and most of that time she was under Myura's control, I couldn't get her off my mind. She was Ladybug, but younger and new to life, and a character like that has a lot a writer could gut out. And I began to wonder "what if she lived?"
> 
> I also happened to be reading a lot of popular fan theories at the time and decided to incorporate some elements into my AU. I won't say wich because I don't want to spoil the twist!

Adrien couldn't believe his eyes. The peice of paper in his hand would change everything. 

Should he approach his father? And risk getting in trouble for snooping?

And this single piece of evidence on top of the fact that his father's assistant was Myura. Something was going on, and Chat Noir or not, Adrien was involved. 

"Certificate of Death..... Adrien Agreste....."

This had to be fake. Obviously, Adrien wasn't a ghost. But why would his father keep a fake death certificate? 

He ran his fingers over the paper. It didn't feel real. It felt as if a mask were being ripped off like a band-aid: painful, revealing the ugly wound it only hid rather than healed. 

Maybe he could approach Plagg. The Kwami was snuggled up in his shirt pocket, sound asleep. Maybe he would. He could also approach Ladybug, but that would put his secret identity at risk. 

If anything, it was his father who owed him an explanation. He would approach him. Could he get so mad at his son just for wanting the truth? 

He folded the paper and shoved it in his other pocket, slipping away without a trace.   
\-----

This girl needed a new outfit. Seriously. 

She was not Ladybug. She looked like Ladybug. And being her double was the only thing she knew about herself. 

So Ladybug recommended that Sentibug pay a visit to her friend and upcoming designer, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. 

"My friend, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, is an aspiring fashion designer. If she and her parents agree, you can stay the night and she can help you get your own look." Ladybug suggested. 

Sentibug raised an eyebrow. "Why do I need to look different? "

"Because that's part of what freedom is," Ladybug explained. "It's getting to know who you are and what sets you apart. A great way to start is to figure out what you like to wear. That way, when you look in the mirror, the only person you see is you. Only I can be Ladybug, and only you can be Sentibug,"

"I don't want to intrude though"

"But you wouldn't be! As long as her parents say yes, I'm sure she'd love to hang out with you! Plus having a superhero wear her designs would help her work get some attention. She's a good artist "

Ladybug certainly seemed to know what she was talking about, and Sentibug thought that helping out a friend would be a good thing and maybe Marinette could be her friend too. "Then let's go!"

After talking with Marinette's parents and getting them to agree, Ladybug promptly took off, swerved on top of her balcony, and detransformed in her room.

"Marinette!"

"Coming, Papa!"

The girls later sat in Marinette's room. Everything fascinated Sentibug: the balcony, the trap door, the furniture, the art and sewing supplies, the bakery smell, and gosh, all that pink! And Marinette's parents seemed really nice, too!

"OMG THESE ARE DELICIOUS! What were they called again? " Sentibug proceded to shove another one into her mouth. 

"Croissants " Marinette smiled as she finished up her stitch. The pink floral dress looked just as familiar as the red spotted costume to Marinette. They both realized they had a favorite color in common. "Are you ready to try it on?" 

"Yeeeee!" Sentibug was definitely excited like a little kid tasting her first lolipop. 

Marinette removed the dress from her mannequin and handed it to Sentibug. "The bathroom is that way " 

Sentibug had never tried on clothes before. So of course she put her head through a sleeve and her arm through the head hole. It didn't matter. She twirled around in glee, her clumsy arms accidentally knocking over a bottle of lotion. 

Marinette heard a crash. "Are you ok, Sentibug?"

"Help, I knocked something over!"

Marinette made her way to the bathroom. Looks like she shared her clumsiness, too.

'She's like a mini-me' Marinette thought with a giggle in her throat. 

Later, Marinette introduced her to cat videos, Jagged Stone's music, vine, art how-tos, and all the glories of YouTube. And after Sentibug's first ever binge-watching session, Sentibug laid down on Marinette's sofa and yawned, staring at the wall through blurring vision. 

"Who's that?" Sentibug pointed to the photos on her wall, the blond boy smiling back at her. 

'Hmm. That rabbit hole.' Marinette thought. "Oh, that's my classmate, Adrien Agreste "

"You have more pictures of him than your other classmates "

"Welp- um"

"He's very pretty " Sentibug's cheeks turned a little red. 

As much as seeing her smile warmed her, her gut twisted at the mental image of someone wearing her face, an imposter's lips against his, in Marinette's place. 

"I'M in love with him, Sentibug."

The child's face scrunched in confusion. "You said you loved all your friends "

"Not like- it's different with him" she sighed. How would she explain something so... complex?

"How is it different? "

"Well, some people, like friends, you love because you love talking to them, you have something in common, or you like to do fun things together. How I love Adrien, though... it's all of that and more. When I look at him, I blush and I loose all my thoughts because I just get lost in him and I want to kiss him on the lips and tell him how I feel if only I had just an ounce more courage. And I get jealous when someone else feels that way about him"

"Ok" she understood. "Then I'll help you ask him out some time, if you want "

"My friends have been trying since after the day we met. But thanks for the thought"

"Goodnight, Marinette. Thanks for everything "

"Goodnight Sentibug. Not a problem! "

They hugged eachother goodnight one last time before Marinette crawled into bed.

She sighed. Getting expelled. Facing Lila. Catching Myura. Getting un-expelled. Taking in Sentibug. This day was quite the roller coaster. 

This roller coaster needs some Marichat. 

She started to drift off when she heard a knock on her window. She popped up to see Chat Noir on the other side of the glass. Her feet carried her out of bed to let him in.

"Good evening Marinette. Sorry if I'm disturbing " 

Marinette yawned. "It's fine. But please be quiet " she pointed to Sentibug, who was fast asleep on her sofa. 

Chat Noir nodded. "I know it's been a long day for both of you. Thanks for taking her in. I'm not sure how my family would react if I brought her home." Family. That was a whole other crazy issue. 

"Nah, we're fine. She's actually great company " she looked at her then at him. 

"Good. And a friend told me what happened at school today. How are you holding up?"

"Fine. I'm just glad I have my friends and school back and that I wasn't fully Akumatized. That would've been a nightmare"

"Yeah. I wouldn't want anything to happen to my princess "

Marinette nodded and yawned, passing it to Chat Noir. 

Chat Noir just realized how late it was, despite sneaking out as soon as he could. "I guess I should let you sleep. Goodnight "

"Goodnight"

As Chat turned to leave, he realized he was still holding Marinette's hand. The two giggled. 

"Sweet dreams, kitty"

\--------

The next morning, Adrien decided not to approach his father. 

Plagg had told him to ignore it, that it was nothing, wich only further intrigued Adrien. Maybe his friends at school would have some insight. 

"Dude that's insane! " Adrien knew Nino would totally freak. "And you don't remember anything about it? "

"Nope "

"Maybe you technically died but the doctors brought you back " Alya suggested. "And they had to give you amnesia to save you. I doubt it's related to Natalie being Myura but some investigation wouldn't hurt"

Adrien smiled. "So you'll help me?"

"If it came down to it-" Alya started,

"Of course my zombie dude!" Nino confirmed. "We're totally behind you!". 

"Thanks!" Adrien fistbumped his friends. 

"We should totally get Marinette behind this." Alya suddenly noticed her bestie's absence. "Where is she, anyway? I thought Mr. Damocles removed her expulsion "

Marinette suddenly burst through the door, Sentibug following behind her. "Ack! Ok, we're actually eary!" Marinette panted, high-fiving her new super friend. 

Alya sighed in releif upon seeing that her friend was still in her class. He would never be able to imagine his experience in school without her.

"Hi Alya! Hi Nino! Hi hot stu- I mean Adrien! Hi Adrien! " 

Alya pushed in her glasses, trying to contain her inner fangirl. "Hey Marinette, hi Ladybug! Nice dress!"

"My name is actually Sentibug. Ladybug saved me yesterday and I've been staying with Marinette. Ladybug convinced Mr. Damocles to let me come here!" Sentibug stuck out her hand to shake, a gesture Marinette taught her this morning. 

Alya took it. "I'm Alya! Welcome! This is Nino and Adrien" The two boys waved hi. 

They made an agreement. Sentibug would sit next to Marinette. Alya would sit with Nino. Adrien volunteered to sit in the back with Lila. Marinette wanted to protest, but didn't want to risk it after the fiasco yesterday. 

They also catched Marinette and Sentibug up to speed with Adrien's dilemma. They agreed to help.

However, class started, and the mission was on a wait.

\----

"Father? " Adrien's heart beat, beat like an ominous drum, like an explosion about to burst from its fragile container, breaking it from the inside. 

He wanted answers. He hoped he wouldn't get them.

Gabriel forced himself. It was hard looking down at the boy in front of him. "Yes, Adrien? "

"I know that I shouldn't be looking around in your things, but after what happened with Natalie, and I-"

Gabriel cut him off. "You what?! Adrien, this is the second incident! I-"

"I found this," Adrien revoved the paper from his pocket and handed it to his father. 

Gabriel's expression turned. He unfolded the death certificate. He breifly glanced it before he promptly put it in his pocket. 

"I'll take whatever punishment is necessary but I just want answers, please "

"You were quite young, Adrien, I didn't expect you'd remember. You were suddenly ill. Your heart stopped for a minute before you were revived"

Adrien knew immediately he was lying. "I don't understand. It was only a few months before mom disappeared"

"It's complicated. I know you're upset so I won't punish you. I now realize that I can neither protect you in my house or at school. However, I suggest you respect my boundaries. Some things are hidden for a reason"

Adrien nodded. "I understand, father. Thank you. "

After Adrien returned to his room, Plagg was immediately all like "I could smell his BS a mile away! It was almost as strong as my camenbert! "

"Yeah, it was pretty obvious" Adrien frowned. Maybe he shouldn't pry. 

"Why would he be so secretive about something this big?" Plagg steered the conversation. He was curious himself. 

"I don't know. He might be trying to protect me from something. If Natalie was Myura and had connections to Hawkmoth, then what else is being kept from me?"

\----

"He literally said 'some things are hidden for a reason'?" Alya couldn't believe her ears. Of all the crazy things to talk about at lunch, Alya would never have guessed this last week. 

"Yep" Adrien confirmed. 

Marinette froze. This baisicly confirmed her suspicions that Hawkmoth was Adrien's father. 

The others immediately noticed her change in demeanor. She thought her theory was sound, but that was her Adrien's heart on the line. It was also in this moment she realized that she hadn't talked to Tikki much in the past couple days with Sentibug around. This morning she breifly said good morning and threw some cookies in her bag. She wondered haw she was holding up. "Exuse me, I'm not feeling well " Marinette ran to the restroom. 

The others shrugged and continued. After a few minutes, Marinette reappeared. 

They discussed some wild theories. Sentibug thought that the supervillain lair was in the sewers, and there was a secret entrance in Adrien's basement. Her argument was supported by the fact that she was born in a sewer. Alya corrected her, saying that sentimonsters could be created anywhere, Myura just wanted her plan to stay secret. One theory led to the other, as everyone except Marinette and Adrien had their turn. 

"What are you losers talking about? " Everyone looked up to see the girl in yellow and stripes, judging them with just a look. "Sentibug, I already told you that if you really want to amp up your look, you should lose Dupain-Cheng and go shopping with me"

Sentibug looked up at her confused. "But I love this dress so much! Marinette is a great designer!"

Adrien shot Chloe a glance 'remember what we discussed about being nice?'

"Whatevs. How's my Adrikins doing? Handsome as usual? "

"Alright. You know the death certificate I told you about?"

She rolled her eyes. "You mean the one that's totally fake? I'd never let anything happen to you, and if it did, I'd know. "

Alya had an idea. "Was there any gap of time you weren't allowed to see Adrien? " 

"About a year or so ago, I think. I was so upset and alone without my Adrikins! Your parents refused to un-ground you, and even my Daddy couldn't fix it!"

It struck Adrien that something was off. He hardly remembers a time his parents ever refused to let him see Chloe. 

Alya's phone vibrated.   
"An Akuma alert?" Nino asked. 

"Yep!" Alya dragged her boyfriend off for the sake of her blog. 

Sentibug got up "I should go help Ladybug and Chat Noir"

Marinette looked at her "you sure? You haven'thad powers very long" Adrien nodded in agreement. 

"Nah, I'll be fine. My Amok is hidden, so nothing can happen to me. " She shrugged and ran off. Marinette and Adrien both found their excuses before doing the same.   
\----

"Two Ladybugs? I'm in heaven! " Chat Noir couldn't believe that this was going to be a regular thing. Of course, he'd always love his one and only buggaboo. 

"Har-har, kitty" Ladybug teased. 

The three heroes observed the Akuma. Ladybug groaned when she saw it was Vlopina. 

The two looked at her in confusion. 

"You know her?" Sentibug asked. 

"Yeah" Ladybug sighed. "Her Akuma is in her necklace. She has the power of illusion. Illusions dissapate when you hit them with something " she rushed the explanation, not wanting to dwell on her personal enemy #1. She frowned as her eyes tracked the fox wreaking havoc in the distance. 

Chat Noir wraped his arm behind her neck and showed her a reassuring smile. She smiled back as they exchanged nodds. 

"Is everyone ready? " Ladybug asked the team.

Chat Noir took a battle stance. "Never better, m'lady! "

Sentibug chirped. "Yeeep!" 

The heroes dashed to the scene. Immediately, Vlopina sent a thousand versions of herself after them, losing herself in the crowd. Ladybug pulled her old trick, swiping her yoyo through the mass.

Shock hit her when her yoyo wouldn't penetrate any of the illusions. 

"Looks like I've upgraded, Ladybug! " one imposter teased.

"And you'll never find the real me!" Another one said. 

Ladybug growled in frustration. "New plan everyone! Lucky charm! " she caught a lazer pointer key chained to a bracelet in her hand. 

"I didn't think is was playtime, Buggaboo" the kitty grinned. 

"I'm not sure how to use this yet" Ladybug said as she shoved the little lazer around her wrist while blocking off clones with her yoyo.

Sentibug decided to try her special power too. "Senti-charm!"

[IMG=N3V]

Her face fell as the senti-charm fell into her arms. She froze for a moment before dropping it. "A-a weapon? But why?"

The machine gun was brushed aside as she was attacked by a clone. Suddenly, a few bullets spat from it; a loud boom was echoed by screams. It must have gone off by accident. The child didn't want to look at the blood.

Nothing. For half a second absolutely nothing happened. Silence is the moment before a heart shatters.

Crying. Sentibug heard a baby crying. She didn't want to know. 

"You're a little monster! " the clone shouted, salting the wound. 

The words shook her, They burrowed through her ears and into her gut, twisting themselves like knives. Her eyes surrendered salt water to her face.

"NO!!!" She shoved the clone off her. 

Monster. 

Monster Monster Monster Monster 

MONSTER!!!!

Senti-MONSTER!!!!!

She kept fighting off the seemingly infinite sea of Vlopinas, tears blurring her vision, guilt poisoning her veins. 

Vision. Wait a minute......

Sentibug realized she could save everyone. She could fix this. She owed it to that family....

"Ladybug! I know how to use your lucky charm! Toss it to me!" 

The lazer pointer landed in Sentibug's hand. She rode her yoyo above the crowd, kicking off the clones clutching her ankles.

With the click of button, the lazer turned on. She pointed it in the face of every Vlopina, until one of them sheilded her eyes. 

"Gotcha! "

Ladybug and Chat Noir spotted her too. They dove at her, allowing Chat Noir to Cataclysm her necklace. Sentibug threw the lucky charm to Ladybug. Ladybug tossed it into the air. "Miraculous Ladybug! "

The three of them fist bumped. "Pound it!"

Sentibug couldn't help but blush a little when she gazed at him. And he couldn't help but blush at her a little back. 

"You two were purrfect today! Welp, Chat Noir's gotta run"

"You too, Chat. See ya!" When Chat Noir left, Ladybug turned to Sentibug. "Great job today! "

Sentibug ignored the knot in her stomach. "Thanks. Same to you"

Ladybug sensed something was wrong. "Are you upset about the Senti-charm?"

Sentibug's eyes met the ground. "I didn't want it to be a gun. I don't want to hurt people, but-"

"Stop" Ladybug interrupted. "Look at me"

Sentibug lifted her head to make eye contact. 

"Myura might have wanted to hurt people, but she's gone now. You own your Amok. You control your destiny. If you want to help people, that's what you will do. Your powers don't define you. You do. And any mistake.you make, I'll help fix. Just like how we used my lucky charm to fix everything today"

"Thanks, Ladybug "

"Do you need help getting back to school? "

"I'm fine, thanks " Sentibug gave Ladybug a hug before returning to school. 

\----

Alya had to be the first to interview Sentibug, the newest hero of Paris! 

So they agreed to meet up at the park to film for the Ladyblog.

They discussed everything, from the last battle to her dress Marinette made, to how she was adjusting to the world. Alya quickly discovered that her new friend loved to talk, and didn't mind being heard.

"So Sentibug, do you have any good yoyo tricks?" Alya asked.

Sentibug smiled. "Of course! There's the sheild:" she swung her yoyo at an impossible speed, creating the signature red shield Ladybug had made fameous. "Go ahead, throw something at it! But from a distance"

Alya stood back and threw a small pebble at it, wich found itself lodged in a tree after bouncing off the shield. The superpowered toy slowed until slinging its way back into Sentibug's hand.

"Woah"

"Ladybug and I use that trick all the time fighting Akumas! I can also grab things and pull them twards me!" Sentibug swung her yoyo, retrieving a small branch. She dropped the branch and causually bounced the yoyo on and off the ground.

Alya was curious. "What about your lucky charm? I know Ladybug detransforms after hers, but that's not what I saw in the battle today. How does yours work?" 

Her face fell. 

Alya wasn't sure if she had accidentally crossed a line. "You ok?"

"Yeah"

"You don't have to answer if you don't-"

"No. I do" The tears swam to her eyelid, begging to be let out, but she wouldn't dare embarrass her new friend, especially since she was the one who agreed to the interview. She promised she would answer Alya's questions. 

"Sentibug, if it's too sensitive, we can talk about something else, ok? Or I can stop the interview. It's up to you. Maybe this isn't a good idea, " Alya wanted to be as understanding as possible. Marinette had said she was only a child, barely a couple days old. 

Sentibug's lips trembled. Alya was about to stop the recording, her thumb reaching for the button on her phone. 

"Don't. This needs to be heard" Sentibug fidgeted with her yoyo, trying to find the right words. 

Alya readjusted her camera. "Take your time then"

Sentibug inhaled and exhaled, something that she was told would help calm her. "My Senti- I mean special power- is not quite like Ladybug's. I thought it was only different when Myura had control over me, but it was proven in today's fight that that's not the case," she paused. "My special power always comes up with a weapon. Today it was a machine gun. Ladybug told me that her lucky charm gives her something to help her with what she wants, wich is to save people, but when I got a gun, I panicked because I thought a part of me was still a monster. Ladybug talked to me, and I know that's not true now. My powers are based on what Myura wanted, what she put in my Amok, but Ladybug's is based on a Miraculous. I hate my special power. I don't want to hurt anyone. So I decided that I won't use it. I have a cool yoyo and I can fight Akumas without getting hurt, and I think that's more than enough superpowuers for me. It's for everyone's safety"

"And I think we can respect your decision, Sentibug. You're a great hero, and Paris is lucky to have you "

"Thanks Alya"

"So that's it, Ladybloggers! The first interview of the newest hero, Sentibug! "

Sentibug waved into the camera shyly before Alya stopped recording. 

"Why don't you rewatch it before I put it up, ok?"

"Ok." Sentibug nodded, her fingers brushing the case of her yoyo. She didn't say anything that wasn't true. She was confident in every answer she gave except one; even after Ladybug's and Alya's reassurance, she didn't completely believe she wasn't a monster. 

\----

"I shouldn't be in love with two girls at the same time, Plagg" Adrien stared at his bedroom ceiling, mind darting back and forth. 

"And why not?" Plagg's mouth said while full of cheese. 

Adrien gritted his teeth. "It's not really...fair. I mean, Ladybug looks pretty, then does something heroic and smart, then, boom! I'm in love with her. And then Sentibug does the same thing. And now I'm starting to feel the same way. And then there's Marinette. Im not quite sure if I love her as a friend or as more. Do you think I really love either of them? Or is it just a stupid crush? I, I don't want to lie to any of them about how I feel, but, I don't know how I feel, "

"Only you can answer that, kid. Give it time"

"Alright " Adrien got up and looked out his window into the sky, firey orange as the sun trailed off into foriegn lands. He loved patrols during sunset, just sitting on a rooftop next to his lady, watching the breathtaking show. 

He seemed to drown in the colors, so much so that he lost his footing. 

No. That wasn't the sunset. His sense of balance flattened, his ears became static. 

"Woah, Plagg, I'm, woah!"

Thud!

"Adrien?" The boy heard his Kwami's voice echo far off.

"Adrien!!!"


	2. Chapter 2

The classroom was alive with whispers. 

"Dudettes, I haven't seen Adrien all day! " Nino glanced at the seat next to Lila. "The day's halfway done. Normally, if if his old man kept him home, he would at least text us by now "

Alya agreed. "Yeah, I do have a bad feeling about this. "

Worry nauseated Marinette; 'I should have stopped this. It's Hawkmoth! His father! Hawkmoth took him! I should've done something! Oh my gosh! What if he's hurt? Dead? Akumatized? What if he found out too much and it's my fault! I'M LADYBUG! I'M HIS SOULMATE! IT'S ALL MY FAULT! Now we'll never get married and get a hamster and three kids and I'll never see him smile agai-'

"Marinette? " Alya snapped her out of her thoughts. 

As Marinette shook her head back to reality, she noticed that her eyes were stingy and wet, and that Sentibug's arms were wrapped around her. 

"You ok, Marinette? " Sentibug batted her puppy dog eyes, shoving her own worry down her throat. 

Marinette wiped her eyes. "Yeah, I'm just really worried about Adrien "

She glanced at her phone and saw a text from Master Fu: "found the problem last night. Fixed the peacock."

She replied "awesome! " before deleting both texts.

At least there was one upside to this day.

"Hey, losers" Chloe gave them her usual greeting. This had to be at least the 10th time today she made a demeaning remark to Adrien's closest circle of friends besides her (about five more times than any given day). Everyone knew Chloe seemed to be an impossible case at this point.

Well, all except one. 

"But we're NOT losers!" Sentibug shouted, attracting the gaze of the whole class. "Sorry" she peeped.

Chloe rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "You guys disgust me! Look at what your so-called investigation did! I bet he's never going to be allowed at school again, and it's all YOUR FAULT! "

Marinette sighed. Maybe her childhood bully was right for once. 

Sentibug stood up. The only two people standing were her and her new enemy. The walls started to close in. Gazing eyes pierced her. But it still needed to be said. "If you're really Adrien's friend, then why are you so mean when he's nice?!! So either find a way to help, or BACK OFF!!!"

Chloe wore a death glare as she tapped her fingers in a moment of menacing thought before putting her hand on her hip. Every fiber of her just wanted to tear this newb of a hero apart. However, since she was a superhero, she'd go on her slowly, give her a chance to turn around. "I'll play nice- on a few conditions" She handed her a folded piece of paper. Sentibug opened it and skimmed the list.

"Sentibug, you don't have to-" Marinette started. 

Sentibug looked at Chloe. "Tomorrow? "

Chloe nodded 'yes'. She reached out her hand, wich Sentibug took. 

"Now can we start class? " Mrs. Mendeleev seemed to have teleported into the classroom, throwing everyone off gaurd. 

"Yes ma'am "  
"Sorry ma'am "

Everyone sat down and tried to keep their minds on chemistry. 

\--------

"Gosh, Plagg. I only fainted. How many tests does the hospital have to do?" Adrien never complained about anything, unless someone was being mistreated or he was trapped somewhere. And right now, he was trapped in a hospital room. 

"Adrien- you were out for over an hour with wacky vitals and no one knows why- if anything I should be the annoyed one! We ran out of cheese an hour ago! " Plagg proceded to lie on the sheets making melodramatic dying cat noises.

Adrien picked up his phone and scrolled through his messages. "My friends are really worried about me. I wish my father would let me tell them what's going on "

He stared up at the ceiling. The depths of his phone had already been explored- games, memes, YouTube, fanfiction. There was not one show on Netflix he had yet to binge in his alone time in his room at home. If anything, he longed for air. The hospital disinfectants burned his nose. The white walls glazed his eyes. His teeth gritted, his eyes shut, he took a breath to calm himself. 

Plagg dug into a drawer and pulled out a word search puzzle book. "Wanna race?"

It wasn't much, but it was better than same old, same old. "Sure!"

Adrien took the green pen; Plagg took the red.

Their faces connected in the lock of competition. Simultaneously, they chanted "three, two, one, go!" 

Soon enough, Plagg had crossed out nearly the entire page, red marking out seemingly random groups of letters. 

"I win!" Plagg chirped triumphantly. "I win!!!"

Adrien stared at the book in bewilderment. "Uhhhhh.... what's this? "

Plagg smirked. "Oh, that's how my name is spelled in Latin- that's the pronunciation of the ancient Egyptian word for cat- that's Spanish for cheese..."

Adrien's psyche reached an akward phase between wanting to kill him and laughing his butt off. In that moment, he was that crying lady from the meme yelling at the cat at the dinner table. His face squinted, waiting to fuss at the Kwami for cheating, but never finding an anger deep enough to do it. 

The cat snickered and folded his arms. 

Adrien turned the page and and started crossing out random words in Mandarin faster than Plagg could swallow camenbert. Green reigned sovereign that round. 

Another hour passed before a nurse and his father entered the room. 

"Adrien: you are a healthy, textbook normal boy." The nurse said. 

"The hospital has no reason to keep you here" his father stated. "So we're going home "

"May I text my friends and tell them I'm okay? "

Gabriel hesitated, slightly releasing his frown after a passing moment. "Yes"

"Thank you father!"

On the way home, he texted his friends what happened. Each reply message was ridden with initial worry, all followed with a sigh of relief. 

\----------

Sentibug stood outside the school next to Chloe and Sabrina, waiting for their ride. 

'This won't be bad at all. This will be fun!' Sentibug thought in an attempt to reassure herself. At least Adrien was ok and Chloe would hopefully tone down after this. 

The car pulled up. Sabrina opened the door for Chloe before letting herself in, Sentibug entering last. 

"To the mall, Jean-Claude " Chloe ordered.

"Yes Mademoiselle"

"Thank you! " Sentibug peeped as a look from Chloe shot her back down. "Sorry" she muttered. 

It was a moment of quiet. 

"Can you believe what that b!#ch Lila said today! Like, OMG, Ladybug saved me bla bla bla, cause we're besties, like ew. I'm Ladybug's bestie. Not her," Chloe didn't look up from her phone. 

Sentibug rolled her eyes, hoping neither of them caught it. She knew for a fact that she and Chat Noir were Ladybug's best friends and that they did, in fact, save Lila.

"Sabrina, what level are you on on Candy Crush 2?" Chloe asked. 

"Level 10" Sabrina said.

"Girl, I'm on level 50. You need to catch up"

"Why don't you download it, Sentibug? It's fun!" Sabrina showed her her phone screen. 

"Sure!" Sentibug pulled out her phone to download it. The rest of the ride was quiet.

When they were dropped off at the mall, Sentibug and Sabrina followed Chloe inside. 

Sentibug found herself surrounded by shiney things, mannequins that exuded personality, Adrien and other models welcoming them in their smiling photos. The floor itself seemed to glow, twisting like a river between racks and racks of clothes and jewelry waiting to be dived into. 

"Sentibug-" Chloe pointed out "we have to get rid of those spots. You can't just look like you're superhero-ing 24/7. Plus, they only look good on Ladybug."

"I can't take off the costume though"

Chloe tapped her nails in thought, analyzing her appearance. "Hmm... if you can't show some skin... follow me "

She found her a plain black long-sleeved shirt. Sentibug slipped it on. It hugged her, almost constraining her movement. But like any fabric, it would streatch as she got used to it. 

"Better " Chloe nodded. "Now we need a few outfits. You two go off. I'm going to restock my makeup collection "

Sabrina nodded.

"And stay away from the peasant section! " Chloe reminded them as Sabrina grabbed Sentibug's hand and walked off. 

"Where are we going?"

Sabrina smirked. "To the so-called peasant section"

"Does she always act like this?" Sentibug asked. 

"Treat everyone like dirt then buy nice stuff for anyone she remotely likes? Yep! She once got Ladybug a 24 Karat gold necklace after claiming Queen Bee was superior to her"

"Queen Bee? "

"Her superhero form. Besides you she's the only unmasked hero"

Sentibug raised her eyebrow. 

"Anyways, I'll let you on in a little secret if you'll keep quiet. You're the only person besides me and Adrien she's taken shopping, so I'm assuming you're one of us. "

"Ok?"

"I let her use me. Then she buys me expensive clothes and jewelry while ensuring my dad gets a raise whenever we need it. He works for the police force, so her dad is my dad's boss. Everyone pretends to be honest, like they don't put on this fake, better image of themselves. At least with Chloe I know when she's lying. And instead of being shoved under her heel for free, I get paid to walk under it."

"But don't you care about eachother? "

"I'm not sure. Sometimes I think she does. She likes my company "

"So why are we going to the peasants section?"

"To mess with her and keep her in arm's reach. It's actually called the clearence section where they mark down stuff from last season"

In the corner of her eye, Sentibug saw a girl with black hair and a black and pink shirt. And in her mind she saw Marinette's friendly smile welcoming her, telling her everything was ok. The girl, no, woman, turned around, very clearly not her civilian best friend. 

Sentibug shuddered. She knew she wouldn't be able to survive in such a toxic yet symbiotic relationship. How Adrien handled it, she wasn't sure. 

Instantly, a flowy shirt with grey and white stripes caught her attention. Her eyesight narrowed as her breaths became quick. In the blink of an eye, the shirt was in her arms. "OMG this is so cute!" 

Sabrina giggled, adoring the shirt herself. "That IS cute!" Her attention was then directed to a green dress. She held it in front of her and looked at Sentibug. 

"That color looks perfect for you!"

Their eyes lit up. Suddenly, even the thought of Chloe had abandoned them. 

They locked hands, running through the aisles in shared lust. Glitter, patterns, feathers, colors all memorized them, all finding themselves in their arms. 

They met Chloe at the dressing rooms. Chloe poked and prodded at Sentibug, questioning every decision, and not paying enough attention to the price tags to know what came from the front rack and what came from the clearance section. Every now and then, Sabrina and Sentibug exchanged sly smiles behind her back. 

A woman stormed in, making her way to a dressing room, as if the weight of the world were pushing her in there. It was the same person who Sentibug almost thought was Marinette.

"Go away! You're interrupting our montage!" Chloe growled at the woman. 

She gritted her teeth. "I'm sorry you feel that way, but I'm gonna try on clothes, thank you very much!"

"Go AWAY!" Chloe stomped her foot. "Or I'm going to call my Daddy! "

She threw down her clothes and stormed out. "Fudge it! I'm not dealing with anything anymore! If I end up wearing PJs to this party, then so be it! No one can judge me! I never even wanted to go!"

The residual shock stirred for a while. 

"I'm out" Sentibug folded her arms. 

Chloe's face fell. "But what about our deal?"

"You're not holding onto your end of the bargain. I'm out" Sentibug ran out, not keeping a single thing she picked. The black shirt laid on the floor.

Right outside the building she halted. Sentibug might have disliked Chloe, but she didn't want Sabrina to think she didn't enjoy her company. She pulled out her bugphone and texted her. " sorry I left so abruptly. Chloe & I have our differences but I still had fun with you. Friends? "

Her next text was to Marinette. "Is it alright if I come over? "

This was so wrong. She should've gone after that woman and comforted her. That's what a superhero should do, right? Alas, the woman was lost in the crowd.

She flew away on her yoyo with no destination in mind. Her mask was salted with everything that just happened. She needed to get away. 

Her mind spun twards the night before. Marinette was finishing helping her with homework before they decided to sit on the balcony and watch the sunset. For a moment they just sat, enjoying the orange abyss. Sentibug suddenly fell asleep in her chair. And when she woke up, Marinette was unconscious in the chair beside her, her face illuminated by the city lights. When her blue eyes flashed, they carried eachother inside and passed out on her bed. Around Marinette, Sentibug didn't feel like she had to be the hero in order to be supported.

It was the closest thing Sentibug would get to the one thing she craved the most, what she needed the most. She saw it when Tom and Sabine hugged Marinette and made her desserts and asked her about her day. She saw it when her classmates ran to the cars waiting outside the school after a long day. And boy, today was a long day.

Sentibug wiped her tears and checked her phone for a lifeline. 

Her first response came from Sabrina: "sure we can b friends! Let's hang out sometime "

Sentibug grinned. At least she gained a new friend out of the whole ordeal. 

Then came the response she was hoping for. Marinette had replied "of course! Ur always welcome 2 stop by!"

Sentibug 's crying changed tune as a wave of relief crashed over her. She could come home.

\-------

Gabriel gazed at the body decorated before him. It seemed like an eternity passed since he last swept her blonde hair from her face and kissed her. 

"My dear Emile, every failed promise seems to be another eulogy. I'm starting to think that this is impossible "

He took a breath to calm himself. A white butterfly danced past his ear and onto her bouquet. 

"So today I will only make promises I can keep. I promise that I will never take no for an answer. I promise that I will stop at nothing to save you. I promise that I will love you until my last breath."

The sudden warmth in his chest wasn't just his Miraculous. It was another flash of hope, possibly as futile as the last. 

As he ran twards the elevator, chasing the glowing hope, he passed an almost illegible gravestone covered in flowering vines. Buried there was a secret, a secret that broke his heart even more than his unconscious wife and supervillain identity.


End file.
